A Brigade Surgeon’s Afghanistan Medal 1878-1880, no clasp awarded to Surgeon Major, later Brigade Surgeon R.P. Ferguson, ‘H’ Battery, C Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery who having been educated at the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland taking the diplomas of L.C.R.S. and L.R.C.P. in Edinburgh in 1860 before joining the Army as an Assistant Surgeon on 1st March 1862. He would go on to serve during the Bhootan campaign of 1864-65 in medical charge of the Royal Artillery, the Second Afghanistan War as a Surgeon Major and during the Egyptian War of 1882. He finished his career as a Brigade Surgeon and having retired died in Southsea on 10th March 1916.
Afghanistan Medal 1878-1880, no clasp; (SN MR. R.P. FERGUSON. H/C. BDE. R.H.A.)
Condition: Suspension claw re-pinned Good Very Fine
Richard Patrick Ferguson was born on 13th March 1839 and educated in the school of the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland and took the diplomas of L.C.R.S. and L.R.C.P. in Edinburgh in 1860. Appointed an Assistant Surgeon on 1st March 1862 and would later serve in Bhootan in medical charge of the Royal Artillery during the campaign of 1864-1865 being present at the attack and capture of Bala and Buxa Dooars. The Indian Government decided to take punitive action as a result of the treatment of the Honourable Ashley Eden, head of a mission into Bhootan, and perhaps more importantly because of continued raids from Bhootan into British territory. Four columns advanced into Bhootan under Brigadier General W.E. Mulcaster and were able to overcome the slight resistance they met at Dhalimcote, Bhumsong, and Charmoorchee. However, the Bhootanese then attacked various Anglo-Indian positions with serious result. A further expedition was dispatched under Brigadier General Sir H. Tombs, V.C., K.C.B., which captured Dewangiri on 2nd April 1865, and another was mounted in 1866 after which the Bhootanese accepted defeat. He would be appointed a Surgeon on 1st March 1873 and then Surgeon Major on 28th April 1876.
He would then serve in the Afghanistan War 1878-79 with the 2nd Peshawar Valley Field Force and later in the Egyptian War of 1882 for which he would be awarded the Medal and Khedives Star, and was appointed a Brigade Surgeon on 13th April 1887. Subsequently retiring and retaining the rank of Colonel, Royal Army Medical Corps he died in Southsea on 10th March 1916 his obituary appearing in the British Medical Journal of 1st April 1916.
151 Afghanistan Medals to ‘H’ Battery, C Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery, this the only one in the rank of Surgeon Major.
